Thread feeler device in spinning and twisting machines



Patented Oct. 2, 1,951

THREAD FEELER DEVICE IN SPINNING AND TWISTING MACHINES Bertil Melin, Norrkoping, and Harry Jeppson, Malmo, Sweden, assignors to Instrumentrman Inor, Alfred Brakl, Malmo, Sweden, a trading rm of Sweden Application September 5, 1950,`Serial No. 183,144 In Sweden December 2, 1949 1 claim. l

For rational operation of spinning and twisting machines it is of considerable importance that thread break-ages are discovered and repaired as soon as possible.

Therefore, the principal object of the invention is to provide a thread feeler device in spinning and twisting machines for indicating thread breakage to the machine operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a thread feeler device which may easily be incorporated in existing spinning and twisting machines for a low cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a thread feeler device which does not render the normal cleaning of the machine more diiiicult.

These and other objects of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing, in`which Fig. 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section through a device according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows the device as seen from below, and

Fig. 3 shows a section on line lII-III in Fig. 1, the thread guide means being, however, swung to a position indicating a thread breakage.

The thread feeler device according to the invention which is shown on the drawing may be used in a common ring spinning machine having the usual kind of horizontal angle bar beam I provided for each spindle 21 with a small sheet metal flap 2 for carrying a thread guide. Each flap 2 is swingably connected with the beam I by means of a metal hinge 3 in such a way that the a'p may be lifted from the horizontal operational position shown in unbroken lines in Fig. 1 to the lifted position shown in dot and dash lines in the same figure in order to make it possible to change bobbins in the usual manner.

On the flap 2 there is iixed an electrically conducting bearing plate 4 having two bearing lugs 5 in which a shaft 6 substantially horizontal in the operational position of the -ap is rotatably journalled. The shaft 6 suitably consists of steel wire and is a horizontal extension of one end of a thread guide loop 'I which is adapted to occupy an approximately horizontal position during the spinning, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The other end of the loop I extends, in the operational position of the loop, upwards therefrom and is bent to a second thread guide loop 8 1ocated above the loop 1.

On the lower side of the iiap 2 and the bearing plate 4 there is mounted a sheet metal hood I0 for the shaft 6 and its bearing lugs by means of screws 9. The hood IU is electrically insulated from the flap 2 and the bearing plate 4 by means of insulting bushings II around the screws 9 and an insulating spacer I2 between the hood and the outer bearing lug 5 on the plate 4.4 When the flap 2 is let down into operational position one bottom margin of the hood ID is in contact with a contact spring I3 retained on the beam I by means of a screw I5 provided with a, nut. The spring I3, the screw I5, and the nut I4 are insulated from the beam I by means of insulating spacers I6. The screw I5 is connected in a manner only diagammatically shown to one branch 23 of an indicating circuit, which is connected to one pole of a source of current 24, the other branch 25 of said indicating circuit, which is connected to the other pole of the,` source of current being connected to the beam I through an indicator lamp 26. When the flap 2 is let down into the operational position the hood I0 is electrically connected with the screw I5 via the spring I3 whereas the connection between these parts is interrupted when the flap is lifted to the position for exchange of bobbins.

On the shaft 6 there is fixed a bushing I1 between the bearing lugs, said bushing carrying two contact spring arms I8 adapted, cn swinging of the thread guide means formed by the parts B to 8 from the operational position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to the position indicating a thread breakage according to Fig. 3, to rest against the hood I0. To prevent too wide a swinging of the thread guide means 6 to 8J which might damage the spring arms I8, there is iixed a stop screw I9 on the bushing I'I, said stop screw moving freely in a slit 20 in the hood I9 without getting into electrical contact with the hood except on abutment against the ends of the slit for stopping the swinging of the thread guide means.

During operation, the thread 2l runs from the feed rollers 28 of the drafting section (not shown in its entirety) of the spinning machine first through the upper thread guide loop 8 and then through the lower thread guide loop 1 in order to form the thread balloon 22 common in a ring spinning machine, before the thread is wound on the bobbin 2l. During normal operation, the thread 2l is kept taut so that the thread guide means 6 to 8 is kept in the operational position shown in Figs. l and 2, in which the point of gravity of the means is located above the shaft 6. When the thread breaks, the upper 'thread guide loop 8 loses its support against the thread so that the thread guide means is swung to the position shown in Fig. 3 (or to the mirror-re-Y flected position), whereby the previously mentioned indicating circuit is closed due to either contact spring arm I8 getting into Contact With the hood 10. 'Theindicatingfcircuit may for'instance comprise thelamp 26 or another signal means giving the machine-operator a signal to the eiect that a thread has broken. For each spindle in the spinning machinethereisiaidevice 10 of the kind described above, and each :of th'ese devices may have its indicating .,circuit, or else they may be connected in iparalleliinfsets or sections toa small number OLindiQatingcirciiits. `It is also possible to imagine other indicating ldevices than electrical ones, e. g., a light signal plate Atween the `feedgrolllersand the spin`d1e,.guide;loop` v.meanson said .elementfor guiding the ,thread be- Vtween 'the eed rollers and the spindle, a ,metal liap,.me'tal'hinge meansfmounting. said metaliiap ,on ,the `metal .frame A of the :machine for swinging `movement from ,an :approximately horizontal op ,erational positionlto .al-lifted, position,metal`,bear 'ing .means v,on said flap, a .metal shaft vfjournall'ed .in Asaid 'bearing .means KVand being substaritiallyV ,horizontal when said ,flap `is .in its operational position, said .shaft .mounting said element von the machine, whensaidflapis in its operational position, .swingably .around van approximately .horizontalaxisllocated in a thread guiding posi- 4 tion of said guide loop means and said element, below the point of gravity of said element. said guide loop means engaging the thread at least at one point vertically spaced from the horizontal plane .through ysaid point of Lgravity ofsaid elefment, contact :arms onfsai'd shaft, i-a metal part carried 'by said nap but electrically insulated therefrom, said contact arms singly engaging said `metal part on swinging of said guide loop means from :lits thread fguiding position and thereby rockingfof said shaft in said bearing means, a .contact means Acarried by but electrically in- Jsiilatei ffrom .the :metal frame of the machine,

said metal ,part resting electrically conductingly' against esaid .-.contact means in the operational position of said nap, an electric power source, fconductor :means extending an electric circuit *fromsaidpower source to said contact means and to th'emetal frame of the machine, and electric 20 indicator means connected to said conductor means to make Aan indication ,when 4ene of fsaid contactarmsfengageslsaidmetaLpartnbreakage of the .thread when said flap is nfits .operational position.

LBERTIL MELIN. HARRY JEBP'SON.

'REFERENCES 'CITED The following .lreferences 'are-of record :inethe *30 Azle -rof :this patent:

-Number Name :Date

15455692 Phaneuf July'l'l, '1`925 35 12784560 Wachsman Dec. "9 "1'930 FOREIGN PATENTS INumber! Country Y Bate `12 i915 jGreat 'Britain Jo' 11907 

